Ocimum
Encyclopedia
Ocimum is a genus of about 35 species of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae
, mostly native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World
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Some species include:
Hybrids:
e of some Lepidoptera
species including Endoclita malabaricus
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Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
, mostly native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
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Some species include:
- Ocimum americanumOcimum americanumOcimum americanum, known as lime, hairy or "hoary basil", is an annual herb with white or lavender flowers. It is used for medicinal purposes....
(syn. O. canum) is a native of tropical AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. - Ocimum basilicumBasilBasil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....
, or sweet basil, a culinary herb. Most culinary and ornamental basils are cultivars of this species and there are many hybrids between species.- O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora, or Thai basilThai basilThai basil is a type of sweet basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive set of traits. It has an identifiable licorice flavor not present in sweet basil, and its flavor is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil...
, is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, with a strong flavour similar to aniseed, used to flavour curries and stir-fries.
- O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora, or Thai basil
- Ocimum gratissimumOcimum gratissimumOcimum gratissimum, also known as Clove Basil, African Basil, and in Hawaii as Wild Basil, is a species of Ocimum. It is naturalized in Hawaii.-Pharmacology of extracts and essential oils:...
, also known as African basil, or Wild basil in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where it has naturalized. - Ocimum micranthum, or Amazonian basil, is a South American variety often utilized in ayahuascaAyahuascaAyahuasca is any of various psychoactive infusions or decoctions prepared from the Banisteriopsis spp. vine, usually mixed with the leaves of dimethyltryptamine-containing species of shrubs from the Psychotria genus...
rituals for its smell which is said to help avoid bad visions. - Ocimum tenuiflorum (syn. O. sanctum), commonly called Holy Basil or Tulsi, is a sacred herb in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, used in teas, healing remedies, and cosmetics. The plant is worshiped as dear to VishnuVishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
in some sects of VaishnavismVaishnavismVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
. It is also used in Thai cooking.
Hybrids:
- Ocimum × citriodorum, or Lemon BasilLemon basilLemon basil is a hybrid between basil and African basil .It is an herb grown primarily in northeastern Africa and southern Asia, for its strong fragrant lemon scent is used in cooking....
, a hybrid between O. americanum and O. basilicum, is noted for its lemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
flavour and used in cooking. - Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark OpalDark opal basilDark opal basil is a cultivar of Ocimum basilicum , developed at the University of Connecticut in the 1950s. With deep purple, sometimes mottled leaves, it is grown as much for its decorative appeal as for its culinary value...
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Ecology
Ocimum species are used as food plants by the larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including Endoclita malabaricus
Endoclita
Endoclita is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 60 described species found in eastern and southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.- Species :*E. aboe - India*E. absurdus - China*E. actinidae - China...
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